Tapestry Director, Buying and Allocation – Outlet Handbags
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Compensation
- $170,000–185,000/year
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Sep 8, 2026
About Tapestry
Tapestry is a New York–based house of modern luxury, uniting the distinctive worlds of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. As an employer, the group offers the scale and sophistication of a global fashion leader while preserving the creative spirit and heritage of its iconic brands. Tapestry cultivates an inclusive, purpose-driven culture where design, craftsmanship, digital innovation, and commercial excellence intersect. Its teams are encouraged to think boldly, grow continuously, and contribute to a more responsible future for fashion, making Tapestry a compelling environment for talent seeking impact, creativity, and international opportunity.
Coach seeks Director of Buying and Allocation for Outlet Handbags in New York. Lead strategic buying and inventory optimization with $170K–$185K salary.
Role & Responsibilities
- Drive strategic vision of the outlet handbags business by identifying market trends, assortment opportunities, and understanding customer preferences
- Lead the buying process from concept through completion, including partnership in product development, regional merchandising implementation, and financial planning of sales and inventory
- Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) at the SKU level to meet financial targets for sales, inventory, and margin while optimizing forecast accuracy
- Continuously analyze and reforecast business performance; implement strategies to adjust product flow and inventory management to achieve planned results
- Manage SKU lifecycle from adoption through deletion; react to in-season sales to determine forward strategy
- Conduct business analysis to track selling patterns, identify key trends, and maximize assortment and inventory opportunities for continued growth and profitability
- Influence product assortment by analyzing and communicating current product performance, customer feedback, consumer trends, competitive landscape, and local market knowledge to global merchants and design teams
- Optimize inventory allocation to stores to maximize sell-through and align with product strategies
- Lead a team of four professionals through executional excellence across all buying and allocation milestones; nurture team engagement with focus on personal growth and development
- Partner with marketing, ecommerce, product knowledge, visual merchandising, store operations, and field teams to create cohesive storytelling across all consumer touchpoints
- Solicit qualitative feedback from field teams on product performance, customer behavior, store environments, and competitive activity
Qualifications
- Minimum 10 years of buying or related experience in a fast-paced retail or fashion environment
- Strong leadership skills and proven success in motivating and developing a team
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
- Ability to present and recommend strategies and build compelling business cases
- Demonstrated strong product sensibility
- Proven team player with a focus on collaboration
- Experience navigating planning and reporting systems
- Experience leveraging artificial intelligence to drive business insights
Skills
Experience
Minimum 10 years in buying, merchandising, or related strategic roles within fast-paced retail or fashion environments. Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams and managing P&L responsibility with focus on revenue, margin, and inventory optimization. Proven track record of developing sophisticated buying and allocation strategies in omni-channel retail settings.
Education
Bachelor's degree in business, merchandising, retail management, fashion, or related field recommended; equivalent professional experience in buying and allocation may be considered.
Workplace
The role is situated in New York, New York, USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 170,000 to USD 185,000 per annum.
Benefits
Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k), paid paternity and maternity leave, commuter benefits, disability insurance, tuition assistance.
Culture
Tapestry fosters a collaborative, inclusive workplace where creativity, craftsmanship, and consumer insight come together across its portfolio of iconic fashion and lifestyle brands. As an employer, it encourages entrepreneurial thinking, global perspective, and continuous growth, empowering teams to shape meaningful brand experiences while contributing to a culture of innovation and belonging.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Tapestry, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Head of Outlet Handbags Buying and Allocation», «Senior Director, Handbags Buying Strategy», «Director of Outlet Assortment and Allocation», «Buying Director, Outlet Handbags», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.